Thursday, June 16, 2011

This is a mirror of eFoodAlert on WordPress. To subscribe to automatic email alerts, please go to the eFoodAlert on WordPress blog page and complete the EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION form.

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals, allergy alerts and miscellaneous compliance issues. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

Food Safety Recall:Quesos CentroAmericano Corp (Freeport, NY) recalls Queso Fresco "Fresh Cheese" (5-pound foil tray packages; Plant No. 36-9845; Product lot code 05/31/11), after a routine sample tested by the New York State Food Laboratory was found to be contaminated with high levels of Staphylococcus aureus. The recalled Queso Fresco was distributed to stores, delis and restaurants on Long Island, NY.

Food Safety Recall Update:C.W. Hendrix Farms, Inc. (Boca Raton, FL) recalls 15,832 cartons of Fresh Cucumbers (Lot #4329 and 4314), after FDA lab analysis detected Salmonella. The recalled cucumbers were distributed in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and New Jersey, and were used in the following vegetable tray brands, which were recalled by Del Monte Fresh Produce, N.A. Inc. (Miami, FL and Canton, MA): Roche Bros. Pick of the Crop, Del Monte, Del Monte Quality, and CIBO Express Gourmet Markets. Please see the Enforcement Report for June 15, 2011 for details. These recalls are ongoing.

Canada

Allergy Alert:Le Culinaire (Saint-Cyprien, QC) recalls several terrines, due to the presence of undeclared soy protein.

Europe

Allergy Alert (UK):Morrisons withdraws Morrisons The Best Fruit Muesli 500g (Best before end May 2012), due to the presence of undeclared nuts.

Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert (France):La société Seb recalls Steak Country brand frozen hamburger patties, sold at Lidl (1-kg boxes containing 10 x 100g patties; Lots 10/05/11, 11/05/11, and 12/05/11; Best if used by 10/05/12, 11/05/12 and 12/05/12), due to possible contamination with E. coli. Seven children, aged 20 months to 8 years, have been hospitalized with bloody diarrhea due to E. coli after consuming the hamburgers. At least three of the children are still being treated with dialysis. The hamburgers were produced using meat originating in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall:Le laboratoire D&A Pharma recalls Rocgel, 1.2g oral suspension of aluminium oxide (Lots H020 and H021), after certain packages are found to be out of specification for microbiological content.

Outbreak Alert Update:Germany reports 786 cases of HUS (including 25 deaths) and 2518 cases of non-HUS EHEC (with 13 deaths) in the outbreak of enterohemorrhagic E. coli O104:H4 has been traced to contaminated sprouts. Fifteen other countries - 13 European countries, the USA and Canada - also have reported cases, producing a total of 825 HUS and 2,587 non-HUS EHEC infections, and 39 deaths.

Water Safety Alert (UK):Dawlish town beach (south Devon) has been closed to swimmers after filing a routine water quality test.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Food Safety Enforcement Action (PRC): Ten people, including four government staff and six butchers, have been arrested in a case involving clenbuterol-tainted pork.

Food Safety Seizure/Recall (Taiwan): The Public Health Bureau of Taichung City has seized more than 80,000 nutritional supplement capsules made with imported ginger powder contaminated with DIPB, a toxic chemical. Distributors were order to remove the product from store shelves.

Australia and New Zealand

Water Safety Alert (Christchurch, NZ): The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is reminded food businesses in Christchurch that water used in coffee machines needs to be pre-boiled, due to recent earthquakes.

Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.